Neighborhood Enhancement Program

New Sidewalks and Decorative Lighting for Your Neighborhood

Coral Gables residents can now request the installation of new sidewalks and decorative lighting on their streets, through the Neighborhood Enhancement Program (NEP). This new program is designed to improve the safety of pedestrians throughout our neighborhoods as well as enhance the sense of community and quality of life.

The City will fully fund sidewalk installation on collector roadways and 50 percent of sidewalk installation on local residential streets. The City will also fund design and electrical service costs for lighting on any residential street when residents elect to fund the installation of the lights through a monthly assessment, over 1-5 years, depending on the overall cost of the project.

•People who live in neighborhoods with sidewalks are 47 percent more likely to be active at least 39 minutes a day. (Source: AARP)

•A well-constructed walkway for a typical 50-foot-wide residential property might cost a builder $2,000, but it can return 15 times that investment in resale value. (Source: AARP)

•In a scenario where two houses are nearly identical, the one with a five-foot-wide sidewalk and two street trees not only sells for $4,000 to $34,000 more but it also sells in less time. (Source: AARP)

•From the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA):

"Annually, around 4,500 pedestrians are killed in traffic crashes with motor vehicles in the United States. Pedestrians killed while “walking along the roadway” account for almost 8 percent of these deaths. Many of these tragedies are preventable. Providing walkways separated from the travel lanes could help to prevent up to 88 percent of these “walking along roadway crashes.” Walkways can be created either by providing stabilized or paved surfaces separated from the roadway, or by widening paved shoulders. These treatments can not only improve the safety of pedestrians, but also make pedestrian trips more viable." (Source: https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/tools_solve/walkways_trifold/walkways_trifold.pdf)

•The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center FAQ on sidewalk concerns for residential communities can be found here.

List of collector roadways eligible for fully funded sidewalks

Alhambra Circle

Anastasia Ave.

San Marco Dr.

Ponce De Leon Blvd.

De Soto Blvd

S. Alhambra Circle

Granada Boulevard

Biltmore Drive

Sevilla Avenue from Red Road to Anastasia Avenue

University Drive

San Amaro Drive

Miller Road

Campo Sano Avenue

Riviera Drive

University Drive Sidewalk Project

The residents of University Drive initiated a request for sidewalks through the Neighborhood Enhancement Program in 2017. The City of Coral Gables Public Works Department has been working to provide sidewalks, in response to the request, on University Drive where they do not currently exist between Bird Road and Blue Road. A public meeting was held on March 16th, 2017, with a voting ballot subsequently distributed to the community later in 2017. The results of the ballot met the 2/3rds concurrency requirement for new sidewalk construction.

A second public meeting was held on March 21st, 2018. Thanks to all who attended. For more information about the project, see the following documents: